10 Supposedly 'Naughty' Companies That Are Censoring 'Christmas

The American Family Association has released its "Naughty-or-Nice 2014 Retailer List," an annual report that offers Christian consumers information about how companies market their products during the holiday season.

The conservative group rates brands on a color-coded scale, with the highest marks going to "5-star rated" businesses that both "promote and celebrate Christmas on an exceptional basis." This year, some of the companies that fall under that category are Lowe's, Sears, Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart.

On the lower end are companies that the American Family Association claims "use 'Christmas' sparingly in a single or unique product description" and that, overall, purportedly do not adequately recognize the holiday in newspaper advertisements and TV and radio spots.

Some of these so-called "naughty" companies are: Barnes & Noble, Family Dollar, Foot Locker, Limited Brands, Office Depot, Office Max, Pet Smart, Staples, Victoria's Secret and Maurice's, according to a list published on the organization's website.

See the breakdown below, which includes two middle ground categories as well:

American Family Association

Those interested in learning more about why each company is listed under the aforementioned designations can click to see the American Family Association's methodology for rating each brand.

The organization, which only includes national companies in the analysis, relies upon four key areas: newspaper advertisements, radio and television spots, websites and/or personal visits to stores.

"If a company's ad has references to items associated with Christmas (trees, wreaths, lights, etc.), it was considered as an attempt to reach 'Christmas' shoppers," the website explains. "If a company has items associated with Christmas, but did not use the word 'Christmas,' then the company is considered as censoring 'Christmas.'"

Find out more here — and see how this year's list compares to the 2013 report.

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